6 Things Insurance Companies Don't Want You to Know After a Car Accident

When you suffer injuries in a preventable
car accident, the party at-fault can be held liable for the harm and damages you suffer.
While you may file a claim against the negligent driver who caused your
accident, it will most likely be handled by the company from which they
purchased their auto insurance. These insurance companies are corporations,
and they are driven by their financial interests. Because your claim against
their policyholder is in direct conflict with these interests (if you
win, they pay), they will often go to great lengths in order to pay you
as little as possible – even if that means keeping certain facts
or information from you that would help you better understand your rights
and protect your ability to secure the compensation you deserve.

At Hare, Wynn, our car accident lawyers are all too familiar with the tactics
insurance companies use to overpower injured individuals when they dispute,
deny, or underpay valid claims. We have dedicated our professional careers
to fighting for the injured and their families, and to helping our clients
level the playing field with the powerful insurance providers they face
off against in
personal injury cases. To help you better understand your rights, we’ve provided
a list of a few things insurance companies would rather you didn’t know:

Insurance companies are not on your side – Catchy marketing jingles aside, you should understand that insurance
companies are not on your side, especially if you have been harmed by
one of their insured drivers. Insurance providers prioritize profits over
people, and they want nothing more than to pay you less. As such, they
are quick to use anything they can against you when defending against
your claim, and may use certain tactics to aid them in gathering statements
or evidence (however misconstrued) that enable them to do just that.

You don’t have to provide a recorded statement – Having accident victims make a recorded statement is one glaring
example of the tactics insurance companies use to bolster their own interests.
If an insurance adjuster contacts you and asks you to provide a recorded
statement, you have the right to politely refuse. Unfortunately, many
victims who are unfamiliar with the personal injury process do engage
in recorded conversations because they feel it’s required or standard
procedure. The truth is that these recorded calls are exploratory missions
where adjusters hope you will say something that can be used to diminish
the value of your claim, even if your statements were made by mistake
or taken out of context. Rather than provide a statement, you can work
with an attorney who can handle all interaction and communication with
adjusters and representatives on your behalf.

You don’t have to accept early offers – Insurance companies want to capitalize on victims’ lack
of familiarity with personal injury law. That means they might attempt
to discuss settlement offers early on in the process. You do not have
to accept these offers, and should consult with a lawyer who can help
you determine whether or not they meet your needs. If you accept an initial
offer without knowing the full scope of your injuries or damages, and
which proves to be less than you need, you may be on the hook for covering
those costs on your own.

They can surveil you – Insurance representatives will not be quick to tell you that it is within
the law for them to request and conduct surveillance. This may not be
a common tactic, but it is has been used in certain situations, such as
when a plaintiff has prior personal injury cases or pre-existing injuries.
You have the right to know they can legally follow your activities, and
use information they collect against you.

Delay or denial doesn’t mean you have no case – As mentioned, insurance companies want to pay you as little as they possibly
can. Sometimes, this means delaying or denying a case – which does
not mean your claim isn’t a valid one. In fact, delays and denials
can be strategic for insurance companies, especially when they believe
a case is challenging, that it could potentially result in significant
damages they’ll have to pay, or because they simply want to compel
plaintiffs into taking a case to trial or accepting a lower settlement
to put an end to the drawn out process and headaches.

You can work with a lawyer – One of the easiest ways insurance companies can succeed in paying
you less than you deserve is to capitalize on your lack of legal representation.
This means they don’t want you to work with an attorney, and will
often try to “work with you” directly to quickly settle your
claim, even if you don’t yet know all of your damages, whether a
settlement is fair, or what you may be entitled to under the law. Because
personal injury cases are complex, especially when you are physically
recovering, it is in your best interests to work with a lawyer who can
help level the playing field with insurance companies and fight for the
full and fair financial recovery you need.

Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton has cultivated a legacy for our ability
to help clients fight back against the insurance companies they face off
against in auto accident cases. Through the application of our extensive
experience, resources, and litigation skills, we have been able to successfully
recover millions of dollars in compensation for our clients since 1890.
Let us put our abilities to work for you. Call (855) 997-9319 to learn
more about your auto accident case and how we can help. Our firm proudly
serves clients from multiple office locations in Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or
any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client
relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be
sent through this form.

The recoveries, verdicts, favorable outcomes, and testimonials described
on this site are not an indication of future results. Every case is different,
and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about
what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and
circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends
on the facts, the damages, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses,
the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. No representation
is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater
than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

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